Energetic composites are conventionally composed of a solid oxidizer dispersed within and bonded by a fuel matrix. The fuel matrix may optionally contain additional components such as powdered metals which act as high energy fuel and minor amounts of special purpose additives, plasticizers, antioxidants, wetting agents, curatives, and reinforcing and bonding agents.
For optimum results, each non-soluble composite component should be uniformly dispersed to a discrete small particle size in order to assure maximum energy conversion. Typically, it is advantageous to maximize the level of oxidizer and high energy fuel components while minimizing the level of binder component since most binder materials are poorer specific energy generators. Typically, additives such as plasticizers, antioxidants and wetting agents are introduced primarily to enhance the processability or the stability of the binder component of the system. Therefore, a reduction in the level of binder further reduces the need for these low energy components with consequent significant improvement in performance of the composite. Since, generally, the minimum amount of binder is determined by processability, this factor is one of the primary limitations on the performance of an energetic composite.
Various related formulations using metallo-organic compounds, especially aluminum III alkoxylates, monoalkyl silicon IV tris alkoxylates and monoalkoxy titanium IV tris salts of various types, when employed in modest proportions, have been shown to improve processability of a variety of composites. The titanate salts, particularly, are effective in enhancing dispersion of inorganic particulate in organic matrix binders such as those conventionally employed as matrices for energetic compositions.